The Rising of the Shield?
by Ame de asobu neko
Summary: Iwatani Naofumi thought his sole role in another world was to be the Shield Hero. He wasn't sure he'd be able to fulfill that. But maybe, just maybe, the Fates have more in store for him. Slight AU.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Well, looks like he finally got it.

Iwatani Naofumi, a 20-year-old college student, now turned Shield Hero in another world, inspected the liquid in a makeshift cup with a critical eye, comparing it with the guide description of Cure for Bronchitis (Weak version). It looked – and smelled – accordingly, and he allowed himself to slump with a small content sigh, throwing a look to his left.

Beside him, huddled in his green cloak, slept a little girl. Raphtalia, a raccoon demi-human.

His _slave_.

He bought her three days ago out of sheer desperation, seeing as he couldn't effectively fight on his own. After all, his attack stat was just a little above zero, while the defense stat skyrocketed above anyone with the same level as him – and even those who were five levels stronger.

But the girl was sick, harsh coughs wracking her small body every dozen minutes or so. A Cure for Common Cold that was among the first simple recipes he had tried seemed to have little effect, which meant he had to search for another medicine. The apothecary from the capital answered a couple of his questions and even allowed to use Appraisal on some potions, if only because he had been bringing good quality herbs on a regular basis. 'A small favor to keep up the business' the man said.

Naofumi snorted at the memory. _Business, my ass_. He doubted that the amounts he was selling the man covered even ten percent of the overall quantity that the apothecary needed but, hopefully, with this new _addition _– he looked at the girl again, noting her twitching ears and ragged breaths – he might be able to make a real profit.

She had already proven herself useful, and when he finally deals with her health problems, she'll be even more valuable.

Which led to the matter at hand – he only managed to create one dose of the cure, but the apothecary had mentioned that a child like Raphtalia should get about five doses to be healthy again. That meant he still had at least four more to make, and Naofumi wasn't sure he'd be able to make them quickly even after his first success with the potion.

With a sigh, he looked up at the sky. Sure enough, it was already getting lighter. Sometimes, he missed clocks from his world. Never knowing what time it was felt alien at first, strange and uncomfortable, but after a day or two he got used to the fact that the exact minutes didn't really matter here, in this medieval-like place. Now he was basing his activities on the position of the sun in the sky, and in a way, it made him feel a little lighter inside. Back at home it was always 'lectures start at eight sharp, don't be late', 'go meet your brother after school club at six thirty', 'you'll have to cook the breakfast yourself, I need to be at work in twenty five minutes', and so on and so forth – all these endless restrictions, all depending on time. At least he learnt to cook pretty well, 'cause their parents were working from early morning till late in the evening. They never had the _time_ for cooking, nor for any family outings, or really even just a nice evening together. It was usually just him and his brother. Sometimes it felt like he was more of a parent to his otouto than Mum and Dad combined.

Just thinking about it left a bad taste in his mouth. Figuratively speaking, because somehow, after that damn bitch's betrayal and subsequent 'trial' food lost any flavor, leaving Naofumi with the impression of eating paper each time he took something in his mouth.

Damn royalty. It wasn't enough to strip him of his belongings, his dignity, his social status. They managed to strip him of the ability to find joy in simple things like food or company. Wanted to take away _everything_. Everything he had and everything he was.

Half the nights Naofumi couldn't sleep from unbearable anxiety, fearing that someone would come and do something awful to him again. He would just sit and watch the stars, or, after he unlocked the Leaf Shield and several others, try his hand in every kind of medicine he came across. It helped calm him down, the rhythmical grinding, the mixing, experimenting with different plants and watching the results. He could forget, even if only for a couple hours, that this world hated him and wanted him to fail.

It was so very _ironic_ that medicine was his salvation in more ways than one.

A sharp twinge of pain reminded the young man of the main reason for his interest in medicine. He winced, but quickly schooled his face back into neutrality, lest he break down in tears. Shit. He really needed to forget about this right now.

His eyes fell to the potion he'd made. _Yeah, this would do. _Naofumi looked at the sky again, trying to measure the time before the girl – Raphtalia – would wake.

"Guess I have enough time for a try or two at this," he murmured to himself quietly, looking over his herb supplies. They'd probably need to restock some of them, since he had used a lot tonight.

He just wished he hadn't botched so many of the attempts.

Learning how to make medicine was _hard_. The young man sighed, but sat up a little straighter. He had to do it. There was not much of a choice. And this potion was just one of the many steps he would have to take to achieve his goal.

As the nature around him slowly awakened, Naofumi started on another batch of the Cure for Bronchitis with a determined look.

He totally missed dull red eyes that watched him sleepily for several seconds, then closed again.

* * *

By the time he finished his work, the sun had already risen, bathing the surroundings in a warm glow. Some birds were chirping merrily in nearby trees, and a small breeze rustled the grass around them.

The Shield Hero took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, relishing in the small moment of peacefulness, then got up from his seat near the fire and stretched with a groan. He was probably going to regret staying up all night, but the three doses of medicine he had stored in inventory made up for tiredness.

_Speaking of inventories…_ He searched through it for several seconds, and pulled out a dozen fish they had caught together the day before. After another moment a couple herbs were taken too. Even if he couldn't taste shit, it didn't mean he would cook shit. He still had some pride left in him, and if anything, his cooking was something to be proud of.

He knew it because he had worked in a small restaurant for a while, back when he was a freshman and needed money to go to a big anime festival with his brother. He was just a kitchen helper, but one day one of the two cooks went down with an illness, and out of the remaining staff only he could cook without burning the food.

The next moment he found himself in a white apron, standing beside the stove. Mr. Takahida, a man in his fifties and their second chef, clapped him on the shoulder and told not to worry too much.

"Just imagine that you are at home, lad, and everything will be fine", he quipped with a big smile. Somehow, that didn't feel reassuring at all.

Then, two minutes after his first dish had been served, one of the waiters barged in asking who cooked it. Naofumi raised a slightly trembling hand in the air and was immediately dragged to the dining area. He was mentally preparing himself for anger and complaints and thinking of a better way to apologize when…

"Excellent!"

_Eh?_

"Is this young man the one who cooked this?" asked the customer, an elderly man in a gray kimono.

Naofumi hesitantly nodded and was surprised when the man's eyes lit up.

"I-I'm Iwatani Naofumi," he introduced himself with a bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, Iwatani-san!" the man stood up to shake his hand with vigor. "I absolutely loved your dish! If you could please tell me where you learned to cook so well?"

Unused to such praise, Naofumi flushed with embarrassment.

"Um, I, er, I learned on my own, because, well, my parents have a lot of work… And they're not wealthy enough to hire a cook," he finished lamely.

"Oh? Then I must really commend you on your skill. Not many managed to satisfy my standards. In fact," the customer hummed in thought, "only Kyoko-chan's cooking has ever truly pleased me."

The man smiled wistfully with a faraway look.

"She was my beloved wife, Kyoko-chan," he added quietly, noticing the confusion on Naofumi's face. "And your cooking reminds me of her so much…"

Naofumi stood there, not knowing what to say. The use of past tense didn't go unnoticed by him, and he was desperately trying to think of something to cheer the man up when his eyes fell onto the table in front of him.

"Well, if you like it, you could eat here again, sir. I'm a student, so I won't always work weekdays, but almost every weekend I'm here and can cook something for you again."

The man's face brightened a little in response.

"That would be most appreciated, Iwatani-san."

"J-just Naofumi is fine," he laughed nervously, barely managing to hide his relief. "I'll leave you to your meal now, sir, pretty sure I'm really needed in the kitchen right now. Besides," he continued with a small grin, "Can't keep you from this delicious food any longer, or it might get cold."

The elderly man laughed and bid him goodbye, and Naofumi hurriedly returned to the kitchen.

Not knowing that the following twenty minutes would be burned into his mind – forever.

"WHAAAAAAAAT!"

The shriek rang out right after Naofumi finished recounting his recent talk and belonged to the always benevolent Takahida who, in Naofumi's opinion, looked like he suddenly got raving mad. The cook was shaking and his eyes were gleaming with some sort of emotion that Iwatani couldn't even begin to identify.

"Ugh, Takahida-san?.. Why are you –

He didn't get to finish the sentence because a heartbeat later the older man was in his face.

"You didn't recognize HIM?!"

Naofumi opened his mouth for a retort but Takahida Ryuichi wasn't finished yet.

"THAT was Ichijou Sousuke! THE Ichijou Sousuke! How can you not know him! That's –

"Oi, Taka-kun," their manager, Sanada Saito, interrupted him mid-rant. "Lay off of the poor kid. He's only been working here for two weeks, how in the hell would he know one of the restaurant critics, especially the one who rarely goes out in public these days?"

"But –

"No buts! So what if Ichijou-san is one of the harshest critics out there," Naofumi gulped. The chef's reaction didn't seem so overboard anymore. "The thing is, I think it was for the best that our Nao-kun could speak to him as though he was just any other man. He's probably tired of everyone being afraid of him."

Takahida visibly deflated.

"Now, Taka-kun, do you want to spoil the business, or what?" Sanada pushed his thin-rimmed glasses up his nose. "Get back to work, or Ichijou Sousuke will be the last thing on your mind."

The manager's tone was flat, but the message was pretty clear – _g__o do your job__, or else._ Everyone around shuddered and hurried to pick up where they left off.

Cutting the onions for his next dish, Naofumi thought about it a little longer, but soon the flow of orders took all his attention.

* * *

For a brief moment, Naofumi wished to be back there, in that small but cozy restaurant. After the incident he was promoted to one of the cooks and the famous critic became their regular customer. When his second year in University began, he couldn't work as much anymore, but per his promise he still cooked on weekends, and Ichijou Sousuke never stopped dining there.

Until Iwatani Naofumi was summoned to another bloody world.

_I wonder what happened to them all. Is Ichijou-san still a regular?__Did he… ask about me?_

With a grimace, he pushed those thoughts away. It wasn't going to do him any good wondering about something he would never know, wishing for things that would never come true.

He had a lot of work to do.

Taking out a knife, Naofumi started gutting the fish, albeit with a tad more force than necessary.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi, everyone! First of all, let me thank all of you who followed/favorited/reviewed my story - YOU'RE AWESOME! It's really inspiring, y'know, to see that somebody likes what I'm scribbling ^ ^ And some of you gave me reeeeally nice suggestions, which I'll try to use! Now second chapter is up, and I also put dividers in the first chapter where they should be. So, without further ado - on with the story!**

* * *

CHAPTER 2

Raphtalia awoke just as the sun got visible between the trees, yawned and stretched a little in her sleeping bag, before looking around blearily.

Her master was already up and about, preparing for the day to come. He must have felt her eyes on him because he spoke without pausing in his work of packing the instruments for medicine preparation:

"Go eat your breakfast and pack the meat."

Just then her nose was hit with a wonderful smell of cooked food, and Raphtalia scrambled to get dressed, tail swishing and mouth full of saliva.

Noticing the amount of food set aside on a big stone though, she faltered.

"Umm… M-master?.."

"What?"

The tone wasn't all that harsh, it was very neutral actually, but Raphtalia still cringed a little out of habit. Her previous masters never liked it when she was asking questions.

"A-are you coming to eat too?" she asked in a small voice, fully expecting an irritated "of course" thrown back at her.

"No."

The answer left the girl with her mouth hanging wide open. _What?_ But there was enough food for two grown men on that stone! Could he really give her all that delicious-looking, tantalizing, absolutely mouth-watering…

"You'll catch a fly if you don't stop gawking." Somehow, even with her Master facing away from her, she still got the feeling of a raised eyebrow from the man. Her mouth closed with a snap, and her cheeks were flushed as she set to eating.

When Raphtalia finished, she could tell her stomach was finally full, something she hasn't felt the past few days, even though Master always gave her pretty big portions, not the meager scraps she had lived off of at her previous masters.

The girl let out a happy sigh, and immediately started when her master spoke from right behind her.

"Looks like I thought correctly. You _didn't_ look satisfied yesterday. And the day before, come to think of it…" he hummed thoughtfully, ignoring Raphtalia's stammered apologies. "And you've gained – what? Five levels? No, six – in the past two days, which means it's connected to our grinding, since you didn't have such an appetite when you only gained one or two levels a day. Guess I'll have to continue cooking double on the grinding days," he concluded. "Hopefully, we won't get to triple too soon…"

Raphtalia didn't know if she should feel shame at burdening her master with more cooking for her, or indignation at him speaking so casually about her eating habits. In the end, she went to sullenly collecting smoked Pill Rabbit meat from several strings her master put above the fire the day before and wrapping each piece in a big strong-smelling leaf that Master Naofumi also prepared beforehand.

For some reason this thoughtfulness left a small pang of guilt in her chest, which got a lot stronger as she finished with her task and moved to fold her sleeping bag.

Raphtalia still didn't know what to think of it. They hadn't had any money to spare at first, so they slept on the ground, using Master's cloak as both sheets and cover. First money they earned together were spent on food supplies, then a good dagger for her, and after that the man did the unthinkable.

He bought a sleeping bag. Of good quality, too.

Exactly _one_ sleeping bag.

And just as she was resigning herself to the fact that this man was just as cruel as all her previous owners, he told Raphtalia that it was _hers_ to use.

She could only stare in complete incomprehension, before blurting out the questions that took all her thoughts:

"And w-what about you, M-master? Shouldn't you be the one using it?"

His cold green eyes bore into her, black brows pulled down in a small frown.

"Do you think me such a bastard that I'll let a child sleep on the ground forever?"

"N-no! I just…" she wilted under his stare and hung her head. A heavy sigh was heard, and then she felt a big hand pat her hair a couple times.

Raphtalia looked up in surprise.

"I have only just managed to get rid of this cough of yours, so don't spoil all my hard work. Besides," his stern face darkened a little, "I've seen worse, so it's not a problem."

Raphtalia wanted to argue that, as a slave, she had seen worse too, and what kind of slave slept in better conditions than their master, anyway, but something in Master's eyes told her to leave the topic alone.

So she just nodded and took the proffered sleeping bag, trailing after her master as he exited the shop they were in and headed in the direction of the city gate.

That was eight days ago, and even though they'd earned more than enough for another sleeping bag in that time, all of it went onto other things. 'I need decent medical equipment much more than a body sack', her Master would say. Or 'I'd like to eat something not roasted once in a while, and drink something hot, too – this pan here is of much more use', even if Raphtalia knew that, for some reason, Master Naofumi wasn't able to taste anything.

She, personally, couldn't imagine how that would feel, but the way his shoulders sagged a little and his mouth curved downwards each time he ate spoke volumes about the usually severe man.

"…Oi, you fallen asleep or something?" Her master's slightly annoyed voice shook Raphtalia out of her memories, and she hurried to finish getting ready for another day full of grinding and collecting.

Suddenly, she remembered what her master told her before she went to sleep last night – they were going to visit the capital again in the evening.

The thought that she might be able to persuade Master to buy a sleeping bag for himself made the girl smile a little.

* * *

It was around noon, Raphtalia noticed, looking at the mostly cloudy sky. Time to stop for some well-deserved lunch, as was their habit.

She turned to her master, intending to ask about it, but the words died on her lips, and she tilted her head in confusion and concern.

Master's eyes were scrunched shut as he bent a little, obviously in some kind of pain. _But… Master Naofumi hasn't gotten injured since that porcupine from three days ago, so why was he?.._

Suddenly green eyes flew open, looking straight at Raphtalia with something akin to fear – but the emotion was gone just as soon as it appeared. Her master slowly straightened with an unreadable look, and for a second Raphtalia thought he would lash out at her – verbally, of course; the man had never laid a finger on her with evil intent – but the Shield Hero only pursed his lips and turned away.

"What is it?" His voice sounded a little louder than usual and held a warning in it. _Don't say anything._

"Umm, i-it's probably time for lunch, Master Naofumi. Shall I set camp? Or do we continue?"

Before the young man could reply, though, a loud growling noise rang through the area. Naofumi quickly turned around and scanned the surrounding bushes for any kind of threat, but the only other living being there was Raphtalia, whose face was growing pinker with every passing second.

The Shield Hero slowly relaxed from the fighting stance he had unconsciously adopted and zeroed in on his slave with a raised eyebrow.

"…Raphtalia?"

"Er, um, yes?" She stammered, looking anywhere but at the man._ Damn this stomach! _She thought pitifully. _Why did it have to be so loud?!_

"Looks like lunch _is_ in order, if I don't want that bottomless hole of yours to become alive and eat _me_." How Master could say that with a straight face was beyond her, but as Raphtalia sputtered in shame and indignation, she noticed a corner of his mouth turn upwards the tiniest bit.

It made her feel somewhat miserable – that he was having fun at her expense – but at the same time kind of happy – that he was having fun at all.

Master Naofumi was a good man, really, very generous and kind underneath all that harsh exterior, but he never smiled, never had fun, never looked happy.

Therefore, Raphtalia was sporting a small pout as they were searching around for a suitable clearing, but inwardly she was glad. And also a little worried at what she had noticed before.

Was her master hiding something from her?

He obviously had no intention of telling her now, but maybe, if she proved herself trustworthy enough – things would change?..

* * *

_I feel somewhat conflicted_, Raphtalia thought, standing in the familiar dome-shaped tent as the sky was turning all shades of orange and pink.

Her master was studying various eggs on display with a curious air, only half-listening to the slave trader's babbling.

Of course, it'd be nice to get a Filorial, or perhaps even a dragon, but in the end it still meant Master was going to spend money on something other than his basic well-being – again.

All of a sudden, the Shield Hero turned and pierced the slave trader with a cold stare. Sensing a change in his demeanor, the other two unconsciously straightened.

"Beloukas."

"Yes, great sir Shield Hero?"

"Show me what you've got."

"_Oh!_ I think we'll make some business today, oh yes, my dear sir! I knew you were going to be one of my best customers!"

As the short, rotund man led Master to the cages with an oily grin, thy only thought ringing in Raphtalia's head was 'WHAT?'

Because the scene that unfolded before her mere seconds ago meant only one thing – Master Naofumi was going to buy another slave.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello there! It definitely feels good to have 32 favs and 40 follows already - big thanks to you readers! Third chapter is up, and I hope you will forgive me for the way I ended it (I just couldn't resist XD). Feel free to give constructive criticism or suggest your ideas!**

* * *

CHAPTER 3

Naofumi noticed Raphtalia's dumbfounded look as he was being led by the slave trader but decided to address it later. He needed to focus on the task at hand.

The stench of death hit his nose, but he didn't even twitch, instead looking around to see if there were any new faces in those cages.

In fact, there were some, and the Shield Hero immediately went over to examine them.

"Tell me what their problems are. And don't even start lying there aren't any – they wouldn't be here if they were in good shape."

As Beloukas went on about the circumstances of each individual slave, Iwatani looked at each of them closely.

There was a demi of some bird species with arms and wings so mangled even he with his potions and healing boosts wasn't sure they could be cured. Then a girl around fifteen or so with a crazy sheen in her brown eyes and horrible burn scars on her legs.

"Her previous Master might have overused fire magic a bit while… _playing_ with her," supplied the slave trader. Naofumi just shook his head in disgust and turned to the next cage.

This one actually caught his attention.

It was a Cat demi-human boy around twelve years old by his looks. He was crouching on the floor with a wary look, teeth slightly bared, one golden eye trailing every move Naofumi made and the other hidden behind long dirty gray fringe. The Status screen showed he was level three.

"What's the deal with this one?"

"Well, this boy was used as bait to train the hunting dogs, so he's a little wild. He also got some crudely treated wounds and some sort of infection in the covered eye. That part of his face has, unfortunately, been mangled by those dogs, otherwise he could be sold as a pet or service boy," the trader sighed a little, grumbling about inconsiderate nobles spoiling his merchandise.

"I'll take the cat. He looks the least damaged of all," Naofumi decided.

"Of course, sir, great choice as usual!" Beloukas flicked his fingers and one of the servants opened the cage, dragging the hissing and kicking boy out to the front of the tent to be given a slave seal. When the Cat boy saw Raphtalia, he froze for a moment, and it was enough to get him restrained. The slave trader then did a quick job of taking Naofumi's blood and painting the crest. It glowed the same way it did with Raphtalia, and the kid's bar appeared below Raphtalia's in the left side of Naofumi's field of vision. Again, there was no name. Then, an idea popped into his head.

The Shield Hero turned to the seller with an expectant look.

"That would be forty silvers for my dear customer!"

"Make that forty five and give me the remains of the ink," stated Naofumi with a flat look, taking out the coins.

"Of course, my dear sir, but why would you need it?"

Under the curious gazes of both the slave trader and the cat boy Naofumi let the liquid be absorbed into his shield. The shield glowed slightly, and a notification popped up: _Slave Series unlocked_; but he decided to check it out at a more appropriate time. Preferably, when they were away from this dratted city.

"That's why," he said simply, and turned to his now two slaves.

"Let's go."

* * *

They walked in silence for a minute or two, the newest addition to their 'party' trailing unwillingly behind his Master and Raphtalia closing up the procession.

"So, what's your name?"

Silence met Naofumi and he stopped, turning around and crossing his arms.

"Beloukas never said anything about you being mute, so unless you want me to just call you 'slave' every time…" he trailed off meaningfully.

The boy clenched his fists.

"Keran."

The slave's voice was hoarse, as though his owner didn't have much to drink the last few days. _Probably hadn't eaten either,_ thought Naofumi with an internal sigh.

"I am Naofumi," he responded in a flat voice, "and the one behind you is Raphtalia."

"Nice meeting you, Keran," the girl said gently, "you have a beautiful name. Does it mean something?"

The Shield Hero turned around, leaving all the talk to the Tanuki girl. She seemingly understood what he wanted, because she immediately caught up to Keran, and together they followed their Master to one of the cheaper taverns.

Inside, he ordered dinner from the frowning bartender and led the two Demi-humans to a corner table where they all sat down.

While Raphtalia tried to engage Keran in a quiet conversation with various degrees of success, Naofumi was thinking about the boy's role in their group.

They already had a swordsman – or, rather, a swordswoman – in Raphtalia, who had close- and mid-range attacks. That left long-range attacks of some sort. The Shield Hero tapped his chin in thought. _Definitely NOT a spear,_he almost grimaced at the image of a grinning Motoyasu in his head. _And not a bow either, that'd be too hard to master from scratch. Maybe… throwing knives or daggers? The boy is a Cat demi, so he's probably naturally agile and fast; and these weapons can be both close range and long range so he can fight from my cover. Hmmm, that could work._

His musings were interrupted by the arrival of food, and he distributed the dishes – two kid meals for Raphtalia, same for Keran, and the cheapest meal for himself. _No use trying to eat anything else if I can't taste it anyway._

Out of the corner of his eye, Naofumi noticed the lack of movement from Keran. Sighing, he turned to the boy.

"Aren't you hungry?"

His charge just eyed him warily. Iwatani pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"Yes, this is all for you. No, I am not going to take it away. Yes, _really._ And no, I will not punish you for eating. Now _eat_, or she just might try to take your food too."

With slight amusement, Naofumi watched as Keran slowly looked at their third companion and then did a double-take. The boy's jaw dropped at the speed with which a quite slim Raphtalia stuffed herself with food. She was almost at the end of the first plate with no evidence of stopping or even slowing down.

"If I were you, I'd follow her example."

Naofumi's dry comment snapped the boy out of his daze, and he finally bit into his own meal, slowly at first, then with more and more gusto.

The Shield Hero looked back to his plate, and his amusement died down. With another sigh, he forced himself to take a bite.

_Paper… Just like the damn paper._

Unfortunately, he still needed food to live, so he took a second bite, and another, and another. All the while silently envying his slaves.

* * *

After both children were sufficiently fed, a sour-faced Naofumi led them to Erhard's shop. When they entered, the owner was at the counter, polishing a piece of armor.

"Hey, Old Man," he raised his hand in greeting.

"Oh, it's you, Shield kid. Looks like you took good care of the young lady," the blacksmith bobbed his head up and down in appreciation – to which the aforementioned girl blushed heavily – and then noticed another person. "And who have we here? Bought another one already, didncha?"

Naofumi shrugged.

"One is big help already, two will be even better. Can I count on you to get some clothes and weapons for him?"

"Sure thing!" Erhard flashed a grin. "Do you have anything in mind?"

"Actually, yes, I do. You got any throwing weapons – knives and the like?"

"Hmm, I guess so," the older man scratched his chin in thought. "Give me a minute."

As Erhard disappeared into the back rooms of his shop, Naofumi turned to his slaves who were looking around at the various items on display.

"Raphtalia," the girl snapped to attention. "Go take a look at the swords; I think you are ready for a better one."

"Yes, Master!"

The Tanuki bounded to one side of the shop in excitement, while Naofumi faced his second slave.

"Have you ever thrown rocks at those dogs that hunted you?"

"Yeah, so what?" the boy lifted his chin with a defiant expression, all the while edging away from him. Clearly, he was afraid of punishment, even if he tried to put on a brave front. Thankfully for him, that was exactly what Naofumi wanted to hear.

"Good," he nodded, ignoring Keran's flinch of surprise. "You already have some basics."

The Shield Hero turned back to Erhard, who returned at that moment with a pile of clothes and weapons in his hands.

"Alright, kiddo, come 'ere and take a look."

As Keran hesitated, eyeing the huge man with suspicion, Naofumi rolled his eyes and simply pushed him between the shoulder blades, grouching that they don't have all day.

The blacksmith first showed him the clothes. There were several simple pants and shirts to choose from, a blue vest and something resembling a grey coat. The small pile was shoved into Keran's hands and he was directed to the changing room.

"So," Erhard began after a short silence, interrupted only by Raphtalia swishing one of the swords around. "What's his name?"

"Keran."

"You _will_ take good care of him, won't you?"

"_I am not a monster__,_" Naofumi half-snarled, half-whispered, careful to keep the others from hearing the conversation. The older man waved his hands in front of him a little in a placating manner.

"I know, kiddo, I _know_. Just a little worried here. You know how our kingdom feels about demi-humans."

"Yes," Naofumi's shoulders relaxed a little, and a sneer appeared on his face. "More or less the same as they feel about the Shield _Demon_."

"Which is why I'm asking."

The younger man sighed.

"I can't exactly promise anything, what with the Waves and all, but Raphtalia and I will do our best. That little glutton over there is level eighteen already, ya know –

"Naofumi-sama! Stop saying rude things about me, please!" the Tanuki girl whined.

"What? I'm simply stating the truth. You're eating twice as much as I do." Naofumi raised an eyebrow, challenging her to disagree.

"Well, you could have said it in a nicer way!" the girl puffed her rapidly reddening cheeks. "I am not a – oh, Keran! You look very nice!"

The two males turned to the third one, who was awkwardly standing there, looking a little unsettled. He was dressed in mustard-colored pants, a grey shirt and the grey coat-like garment that went down to his ankles. Naofumi noted that it matched well with his eyes and hair, and nodded in approval.

"Try these out," he pointed at the knives, trying to disregard Raphtalia's gushing.

The boy came closer and studied the assortment of weapons brought by the blacksmith. He looked a bit calmer now, and took one of the knives without prompting.

After several minutes of swinging and swishing they chose a set of five knives, each of them ten inches long. Naofumi also paid for a knife holster, a set of skin armor and a new sword for Raphtalia.

They left the shop soon after and headed straight for the apothecary, where Naofumi grilled the owner about various ointments and tonics and sold the day's haul.

Their last stop was to buy another sleeping bag, which displeased Raphtalia for some unfathomable reason, and then they headed out of the capital and straight to the usual camping spot by the river.

When they got there, the sun was low on the horizon, so Naofumi decided to hurry up a little. Quickly setting camp, he addressed the Tanuki girl:

"Raphtalia, go stand watch against any monsters in the area. And _don't look this way._"

A puzzled Raphtalia hesitantly complied, walking a bit further and turning her back to them. The Shield Hero turned to Keran, who suddenly looked alarmed and tense.

"You," the young man looked his slave up and down. "Take off your clothes. ALL of them."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I wanted to post this chapter a bit later, but then I realised that my Christmas gift for you (which is after this chapter) will reveal parts of it anyway, so here it is! But now you'll have to wait a bit longer for Chapter 5 to come out, sorry) I will try to post it in about two weeks, but no promises ^ ^ **

**Now, on with the story!**

* * *

CHAPTER 4

"WHAAAAAAAT!" the double scream scared all the birds in the area.

"N-N-Naofumi-sama!" screeched a furiously blushing Raphtalia, appearing beside the Cat boy.

"What kind of pervert are you?!" Keran backed half a step from him, clutching his coat.

All of a sudden, it seemed like a dark swirling aura surrounded their Master, making both Demis take an involuntary step back. The man moved forward – in the blink of an eye he was looming over them, his green irises taking on a red hue.

Keran couldn't move, his legs felt glued to the ground. Then –

– it was all gone.

The young man palmed his face and spoke with obvious annoyance:

"I need to treat his injuries, you _idiots_. Now," his cold eyes settled on Keran again, "I advise you to do as I say, or else I'll make it an order."

Keran desperately wanted to be brave, to be defiant – he'd done that before – but when faced with this man's ire… he could only nod and comply, seeing as Raphtalia had already returned to her watching spot, her ears drooping and head lowered in shame.

The evening air was cool on his skin, and the boy shivered a little while his new master was checking him over in complete silence, only occasionally scribbling something in some journal of sorts. When the man moved to uncover his bad eye, Keran flinched involuntarily.

"I'll try to not cause too much pain," grunted his Master. "Be still."

True to his words, the man's fingers were gentle, like a summer breeze. Soon, it was over, and Master stood with a sigh.

"Take this," Keran barely managed to catch a big towel, "and go wash in the stream. _Carefully_. Do not wash the face."

"Yeah, yeah, _mom_," the boy snarked as he headed to the river. He stood there for several minutes, splashing in the water, and let his mind wander. It was bothering him like nothing else – who was this man, really?.. There was something… unusual about him. Something dark, yet at the same time calming. And that girl – _Raph-ta-li-a_, he carefully pronounced the name – that girl didn't look like a slave at all. The only things that gave away her status were the cuffs adorning her wrists. Other than that, she just looked like a regular adventurer, even if a bit young. _Are slaves supposed to be so__ cheerful?_

He remembered their talk on the way to the tavern – well, Raphtalia did most of the talking, he was too concentrated on watching his new Master for any signs of danger – and the Tanuki seemed quite friendly. She didn't look scared or even wary of the man in front of them, not a bit.

It was so strange, so confusing. Every single human Keran had ever met treated him with malice, disdain, or just simple hatred – until today.

_No_, Keran shook his head to clear it, _they're just waiting for me to trust them. Then they'll mock me and hurt me just like everyone else! I won't let them fool me!_

With renewed confidence, he went out of the river, dried himself and padded back to the small camp, wrapped up in the green and surprisingly fluffy towel he'd been given.

The fire was already lit, and Keran's master beckoned him to sit near it. There were jars and bottles in the man's hands which made Keran narrow his eyes in suspicion.

"What's that?" he asked aggressively, trying to both hide his nervousness and test his limits. To the boy's slight surprise, his owner just pursed his lips and called Raphtalia, shaking his head all the while.

"What are those? Answer truthfully," the dark-haired man ordered the girl. She looked confused, but obeyed nonetheless.

"Um, that's a salve for bruises, this blue one is for infected wounds… In the bigger bottle is the, er, Weak HP Potion, and in the smaller one…" she furrowed her brow in thought. Their master waited silently. Then her face lit up.

"The last one is Strengthening Potion! Right, Naofumi-sama?" Raphtalia looked at their master for confirmation, her tail wagging anxiously behind.

Instead of answering, the man raised a hand, and Keran bared his teeth in agitation. _The bastard is going to strike her!_

_Pat. Pat._

Keran stared.

Naofumi patted Raphtalia's head with the same bland expression he had before, while the said girl was smiling shyly, although her tail gave away her excitement as it beat around her legs.

"Good. Now, go back, I'll call you when food is ready."

_Food? _The boy thought in bewilderment. _But didn't we have dinner just a short while ago?..._

"Yes, Naofumi-sama!"

As the Tanuki bounded back to her watching spot, the man opened the jar with the now identified medicine.

"I've no reason to poison you – it'd be a waste of my money," he addressed Keran coldly while covering a nasty gash on his leg with the dark blue paste. It stung something fierce, and Keran hissed through clenched teeth. He tried to concentrate on something else, but his eye was immediately drawn to the golden glow surrounding the wound.

"The hell is this glow?!" he almost backed away, but a strong hand caught him and kept in place.

"Calm down, that's just one of my Shields' bonuses," his Master said absent-mindedly, inspecting the quickly closing gash.

"Shield … what?.."

The dark-haired man finally raised his deep green eyes to meet Keran's golden one.

"Didn't Raphtalia tell you who I am?"

Keran shook his head wordlessly.

"That girl…" Naofumi heaved a sigh. "Well, I am one of the Legendary Heroes. The Shield Hero."

* * *

Later that night Keran was lying in his brand new sleeping bag, unable to sleep. He thought over the evening's events again.

Of course, he didn't believe his new master was _the_ Shield Hero at first, demanding some proof. Then, with an eyeroll the man raised his right arm, and with just two words, the shield on it transformed into something resembling a big meaty leaf with a green gem in the middle. Keran even touched the thing to be certain – and the surface of it felt, indeed, just like an overgrown leaf, but much sturdier.

"Satisfied?" the man, _the Hero_, asked dryly.

"Y-yeah," he managed weakly, still not exactly able to wrap his mind around it.

Sure, he remembered the stories his parents had told him, back then when they were still alive. With a pang of sadness, he recalled their evenings together, sitting on a rug in front of the fireplace, eating and laughing at a round table, him listening to the stories – he thought they were just fairytales – about the Cardinal Heroes of legend.

Now, there was one of them right in front of him, calmly wiping his hands on a rag.

Granted, the man didn't really look much like a hero. He was dressed in a simple set of green and brown clothes and a green cape that was now neatly folded on a rock. His face was kind of un-heroic too – with cold green eyes that seemed to pick apart everyone they looked at, and thin lips pulled down in a perpetual frown.

_Thump-thump-thump._

The said man was now sitting near the fire, grinding something in a mortar.

The rhythmical sound, together with the chirping of insects and the crackle of the fire, was making Keran drowsy, but he fought sleepiness for a little longer.

He remembered how quickly all his wounds and bruises vanished from the salves, and how good he felt after taking those potions – even if they tasted awful. He hasn't felt that good in a very, very long time.

Then Master told him to dress and, while Keran was doing that, pulled out several large pieces of meat and some vegetables.

"Go get some branches, preferably long and thin," the man instructed him, starting to work on cutting the food, "and sharpen their ends." The boy watched his hands for a moment as they moved quickly and efficiently – now the guy looked more like a regular cook than a mysterious legendary figure.

"Quit your gawking," his master spoke suddenly, startling him. Keran flushed and hurried to the nearest bushes.

By the time he was done, the food had been cut into neat even pieces, and the Shield Hero took the sticks from Keran, making quick job of skewering the meat and veggies and putting the sticks above the fire. There was already a pan with water there, held in place by two rusty rods.

Soon, the scent of cooked food started filling the area, making Keran's mouth water in anticipation. It was soon joined by another scent, different but no less pleasant, when Master added several herbs to the boiling water.

Keran sat nearby, still marveling at the sight of his own skin – clean and whole again. The only thing left untreated was his eye, but even that would only stay that way until tomorrow, because Master Naofumi said he needed to learn a new specific recipe to treat it.

Despite his doubts and unwillingness to trust, the boy felt himself starting to relax a little. When their food was ready and an excited Raphtalia almost ran to them to get her share, they all sat in peaceful silence, although he saw from the corner of his eye that their master was frowning at his meal. It was fantastic, in Keran's opinion, and it looked like the Tanuki girl fully shared the sentiment, judging by the small sounds of satisfaction she was making.

_I'll have to ask her tomorrow_, Keran thought sleepily. At last, he let the dreamland claim him.

* * *

"-ran! Keran, wake up!" There was a voice, calling him, but he couldn't recognize it. Did Master Medano want him to feed the dogs again?.. But the voice was distinctly female, so, was it _her_?

Keran shot up in alarm, bumping into the person beside him. Without even looking, he started to apologize quickly – _she _is going to be angry if he doesn't.

He didn't want to make _her _angry, if he could help it.

"Calm down, it's okay, I was just surprised."

Alright. That sounded strange.

Keran finally opened his eyes, but instead of an enraged blond-haired woman he was met with the sight of a fourteen, or so, year old Tanuki girl, who was sitting on her haunches and rubbing her forehead.

"Oh, um, hi," his ears reddened in embarrassment as memories of the previous day's events rushed into his head. "Sorry again."

Raphtalia just waved him off, standing up with a small smile.

"I told you it's fine. By the way, can you fish?"

The question almost caught him unawares, but the sound of the running water reminded him that they were near a river.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Great! You'll have to help me – I'm kinda slow at that, and Naofumi-sama ordered to catch some fish for breakfast while he's sleeping."

"Why should we do that when he's not even up yet?" Keran knew he sounded like a whiny brat, but he still felt some defiance rearing up inside him.

Raphtalia shot him a clearly disapproving look.

"That's because Master only went to sleep half an hour ago, after spending the whole night making medicine for a certain Cat," she chided. "And that's not even taking into account that Naofumi-sama is our master, and he gave out an order."

Keran rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Um, well," he looked around, trying to find something to change the topic. His eye fell on their master's form, huddled under the green cloak. Even in his sleep, the man was tense and frowning. The last thought from yesterday suddenly came to Keran's mind. "I wanted to ask you something," the boy turned to his fellow slave.

"Yes?" Raphtalia's ears twitched in curiosity.

"Yesterday, when we were eating, why did this guy look like he was chewing trash? Is he some noble or something? The nobles I saw were _always_ complaining about how bad the food was."

The girl's ears fell.

"I don't know if Naofumi-sama is a noble or not," she said, turning around and motioning for Keran to follow her. When they reached the shore, she continued, looking out at the clear water:

"He's never told me anything about himself or his life before he's been summoned as the Shield Hero. I tried asking once. But," Raphtalia winced at the memory, "his face turned so dark… and he didn't say a word for the rest of that day… I didn't really want to pry after that."

A sigh escaped the Tanuki girl's lips.

"And about food, well – I'm not sure why, but somehow Naofumi-sama is unable to taste anything, which is why he looks so displeased while eating."

"Really? Anything at all?"

Raphtalia nodded.

"Anything. My second day with him, we went to the market, and he heard a passerby talking about miraca-

"That awfully spicy thing that's almost impossible to even bite?" Keran leaned forward in interest.

"Uh-huh," the Tanuki took off her boots and started rolling the sleeves of her underdress. "Suddenly Master looked very interested and asked where to buy it. When we found the stall with miracas, he bought one and took a large bite right there…"

She turned to Keran.

"And then he asked me - 'Are you sure it's the right thing? 'Cause this isn't spicy at all.'"

Keran's eyes bugged out.

"The vendor and everyone around looked about the same as you," Raphtalia giggled at his gaping expression, "The poor vendor then grabbed Master Naofumi's miraca and took a bite himself – and then ran away, screaming for water! He was so red you could probably fry something on him!"

She laughed a little, but soon turned serious again. "But it was proof that Master had lost all sense of taste altogether."

"Damn…" the Cat boy shook his head in wonder. "To not taste a miraca… But how?.."

"That's what I would like to know too," her shoulders dropped. "Master doesn't tell me anything. I know something bad happened when he arrived to our world, and I've heard the rumors…"

"Rumors?"

"Yes," Raphtalia frowned and balled her fists. "People call him a criminal and say the most horrible things about him… They actually claim that he _raped_ somebody…"

"HUH?!" A cold feeling swept over Keran – was his new master a criminal of the worst sort?.. Did he force Raphtalia too?..

"… but I'm _sure_ it's a lie!" The girl continued with fervor, her eyes ablaze. Keran looked at her in surprise.

"Master Naofumi has cured me, clothed me and fed me, even though he had almost nothing! He has never even _looked_ at me like that! He doesn't look like that at anyone! I saw his face when he looked at women, and that wasn't the face of a rapist!"

Raphtalia breathed hard, clutching her dress over her chest. The boy watched for any signs of deceit, but found none. Several moments of silence passed between them.

The sun was bathing everything in its warm light, wind was rustling their clothes and the grass below their feet.

"My race is famous for our intuition," he said slowly, leaning down to take off his own boots. He then rolled up his pants and waded into the river.

"And I don't really want to admit it," Keran looked at Raphtalia with a serious face, "but my intuition says we can feel safe with him."

For a moment Raphtalia looked stunned.

"Thanks!" The girl's blooming smile was wide and happy.

"But I still think he's kinda weird."

"HEY!"

* * *

Keran was sitting across his master, feeling nervous and twitchy, his tail swishing and banging the ground. The man looked at him with the same bland face from the previous day, then raised an eyebrow.

"Come on."

The boy exhaled slowly and pulled his bangs up, revealing a horrible sight. Half of the left side of his face was a mess of raised half-healed tissue, and his left eye was red and puffy, leaking pus. The Shield Hero didn't even flinch, instead taking a swab made out of a piece of clean cloth and soaking it in the recently prepared medicine.

And just like the day before, his touch was light but confident.

"Nghhh…" Keran moaned slightly. The eye hurt even at the smallest pressure.

"It's almost over, Keran-kun, hang on," Raphtalia, who was sitting on his right side, squeezed his hand a little.

"I-I try," he wanted to smile, but what came out was more of a pained grimace than an actual smile.

Then, golden glow invaded his field of vision, and, gradually, the pain began to recede.

"I cannot do much about your scars, but you should be able to see with both eyes in a matter of minutes", Master stated, coating the mangled skin with a creamy substance that smelled of flowers. It cooled his cheek and brow like water, flashed golden for several seconds, and disappeared, seeping into his skin.

Keran decided to check his face first. He raised his other hand to touch it, and was amazed – it felt like there was half less damage there!

Then he noticed that he was actually seeing with both eyes, and his breath caught in his throat.

"I… I can see!" The boy opened and closed his left eye several times to be sure.

"That's great!"

Suddenly Keran found himself in a bone-crushing hug from Raphtalia.

"C-can't… breathe…", he wheezed.

"OH! S-sorry!"

The embarrassed girl let go of him immediately, stuttering apologies. The Cat boy got up and turned to their master, who was packing his things, looking like nothing happened.

With a deep breath, Keran bowed low, facing the ground as he spoke.

"Thank you very much, Master Naofumi!"

That made the man pause.

"It's nothing miraculous," their Master said with a frown, looking away. "You still have the scars, but I don't know any magic, so you'll have to make do with this. Anyway, you better make yourself worth the money and time spent on you."

The last comment almost distracted Keran, but he stopped his rising irritation and looked at the man in front of him again.

His hunched shoulders, pursed lips and the distant look in his dull green eyes told the boy a quite clear message.

'_I'm so useless I can't even properly heal you.'_

_It's not like that! _Keran wanted to say, but as he opened his mouth to speak, a hand landed on his shoulder. It was Raphtalia. She smiled sadly and shook her head. _He won't hear you anyway_, she mouthed.

And Keran understood. He nodded curtly, his mind made up in that moment. _I want to help him_, he mouthed back.

The Tanuki beamed at him, then stepped closer.

"Naofumi-sama!" she called.

The Shield Hero turned to them silently.

"What will our orders be?"

"Well," their Master drawled, glancing around, "Pack everything and be ready to move out. We're mostly going to replenish our herb stock today."

"Yes, Master!" the two chorused cheerfully, making their master's eyebrow twitch a bit.

As they set to packing up, Keran touched his face lightly again, and a small smile came unbidden to his lips.

_I guess my life will be very different from now on._


	5. Interlude 1

**A/N: Hey, everyone! Here is my Christmas gift for you! It's a bit late, because I just couldn't find the time to finish it the way I wanted, but it's still Christmas day in my timezone, so it still counts, hehe. Anyway, Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

"Naofumi-samaaaa!"

A young man with black hair and deep green eyes looked at the source of the call – a girl around seventeen years old with long brown hair and raccoon ears of the same color instead of human ones was waving to him with one hand. In her other hand was a body of an unusually big rabbit. Behind her, a bushy raccoon tail could be seen, moving in excitement.

"Naofumi-sama, I got another Pill Rabbit!"

Naofumi nodded.

"Good job. I think that's enough for today, let's return to the camp."

"Yes, Master!"

She put the killed rabbit in her inventory, and together they walked back to the river, with the man occasionally stopping to pick up one herb or another.

The sound of running water was closer and closer, and after another minute of walking, the forest opened up into a clearing. A small bonfire was lit in the middle of it, with several strings full of meat pieces hanging over it, supported by long sticks. To the side of it stood a boy with longish gray hair. He also had animal ears and tail, but his resembled a cat's. He had two knives in his hands, and another three were imbedded in the nearest tree.

"Keran, we're back!" Raphtalia greeted the boy, who gave a small wave in response, then turned and threw the remaining knives at the tree bark with deadly accuracy. Running to his makeshift dummy, Keran took all the knives out, placing them into a holster on his belt.

"What have you got?" the Cat boy asked with interest.

"Oh, the usual, I guess," the girl tapped her chin with a long slender finger. "Pill Rabbits and Porcupines, one Pikyu-Pikyu and lots of herbs, of course. And," she lowered her voice conspiratorially, making Keran lean closer, "we're going to the city today! Right, Naofumi-sama?"

Their common master grunted an affirmative, while sorting through some of the day's findings, trying to decide what to sell and what to leave for himself.

"Great," Keran grinned at his fellow Demi-human. "Do you think we'll go to Erhard too?"

"Dunno, maybe, I mean, you really need more knives if you want to be a good fighter."

"Raphtalia, you meanie!"

The boy pouted at her, but it quickly turned into a smile, and they both shared a laugh, before going their separate ways to start preparations for the upcoming journey.

* * *

The three of them were moving along one of the larger streets filled with vending stalls. The sun was getting lower, but the Capital still buzzed with life. Everywhere around them, people were walking, laughing and chatting, buying and selling.

A delicious smell filled their nostrils, and both Raphtalia and Keran's stomachs grumbled at the same time.

"Ehehe…" the girl laughed nervously, trying to hide her embarrassment. Their master stopped and sighed, his face hidden by the hood of his green cloak. He then rummaged in his pocket, and Keran barely managed to catch a coin that was tossed at him.

"Go buy something, you two."

The teens' faces brightened, and they immediately left to explore, with Keran following an excited Raphtalia at a more sedate pace. Naofumi leaned against the nearest building with his arms crossed, waiting for his slaves to return.

He got lost in thought, apparently, because next thing he heard was another energetic call from the Raccoon girl:

"Master! Take this, please!"

He raised his eyes and was met with the sight of a stick with something fried on it. The stick was held out by a smiling Raphtalia, who had a similar one in her other hand. Keran was standing beside her, munching on another snack.

"You do know it's all the same for me," he sighed, but took the proffered food anyway.

Raphtalia's smile never wavered.

"Yes, but who knows, maybe this time it'll be different."

Naofumi looked at both their faces, open and sincere.

Deep inside his mind, a small crack appeared in the thick wall he surrounded himself with.

* * *

Raphtalia woke up, opening her eyes with some difficulty.

The dream she had was very pleasant, but she couldn't remember any details. Deep coughs racked her body, and she struggled to take another breath. As small hands started rubbing her back gently, Raphtalia turned her head with a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Rifana."

"No problem."

Raphtalia's best friend smiled back at her, leaning her back on the cold stone wall.

"Say, Raphtalia," the girl spoke suddenly after several moments of silence, "What were you dreaming about?"

"I don't really remember. Why?" asked Raphtalia, hugging her knees in an attempt to save some warmth.

"Well, you were smiling and mumbling something."

"Seriously?" Raphtalia raised her head in surprise. She strained her memory to remember something, but all that came to mind was a tall blurry silhouette and a warm fuzzy feeling that enveloped her at the thought of that person. When she tried to describe it, Rifana's eyes lit up with mischievous fire.

"You know what, I've heard that if the feels don't go away even after you woke up, then the dream will come true!"

"What?"

"Are you sure you don't remember his face? Maybe it's your future husband!" Rifana's weasel ears twitched as she giggled.

"Rifanaaaa!" Raphtalia whined, but her best friend's words stuck in her head. _Come true, huh?.._

_Well_, she thought, _I think I really_…

* * *

Naofumi woke up with a start. The light of the early morning was seeping in through a gap between the curtains. In the corner stood their Christmas tree, its garlands twinkling merrily.

"Did you fall asleep in the living room again, nii-san?" came a voice from the stairs. Naofumi turned and smiled sheepishly, getting up from the couch.

"Morning, Yu-kun."

"You too," his younger brother walked the rest of the way downstairs and followed him into the kitchen. There, they started making breakfast in a comfortable silence, only interrupted by a question from the younger boy:

"Are they home?"

"Nah," Naofumi waved a hand lazily. "As usual."

Yutaro snorted in derision, but didn't say anything about the obvious fact that their parents valued their careers more than their sons.

Soon, the food was ready, and they sat together at the kotatsu, as was their Christmas tradition. Their family wasn't religious or anything, but Naofumi and Yutaro always celebrated Christmas. At first, it was to try and bring their whole family together.

Later on, as they understood that all their efforts were in vain, they did it as a reminder that they still had each other as family.

"Mmmmm, good as always, nii-san. Have you ever considered becoming a chef?"

When there was no answer, Yutaro looked to his left and noted that his older brother was deep in though, picking absent-mindedly at his rice. He poked the other boy slightly to get his attention, and Naofumi flinched, tilting his head with a questioning look.

"Huh?"

"What is it, nii-san? Did you have _that_ dream again?"

Closing his eyes, Naofumi tried to remember it, but the only things he could recall were two vague smiling figures, smaller than him, and a strong feeling of protectiveness and gratitude that constricted his chest.

"Uh-huh."

Yutaro hummed thoughtfully.

"It's quite persistent, this dream of yours. Are you sure you don't know those two?"

"It's hard to explain," the older brother sighed. "It feels like I _know_ them, but at the same time I don't know them _yet_."

"Yet? So, you think it's a prophetic dream?"

"I… I don't know…" he sighed again.

_But_, he thought, looking out the window at the lightly falling snow, _I think I really_…

* * *

… _whoever this person is_ …

* * *

… _whoever these people are_ …

* * *

… _**I really want to meet them!**_


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello~! Here is another chapter, longer this time! BUT starting from next week I'll have lots of work, so I'm not sure when chapter 6 will be ready. Now, enjoy another chapter, this time I added a bit of action ;)**

CHAPTER 5

They were standing in front of a cave entrance, trying to see what was inside, but the light didn't reach further that a few meters in.

Naofumi glanced at his slaves. Raphtalia looked confident and energetic, while Keran seemed quite nervous – his ears and tail twitched in every direction, and he was chewing his lower lip.

"Well," he turned to face the Demi-humans, "Let's repeat our plan. Raphtalia and I go in first and scout the area. When the monster appears, we either fight it, or run, depending on its level. If we manage to kill it, then Raphtalia will go get Keran. If not, run as fast as you can to Lute Village. Is everything clear?"

They both nodded. The girl took out her sword, while the boy moved aside to crouch in the bushes that surrounded the entrance.

Naofumi took a deep breath.

"Alright…Here we go."

* * *

They learned about the cave the day before while visiting Lute, a mining village on the other side of the forest they used for grinding. It was rather small, with only one inn and just a couple stalls that served as the local marketplace. There was no blacksmith, no clothes shop, and, most importantly, no apothecary. That meant he could try selling his medicines here – provided he'd be able to keep his identity hidden, of course. Thankfully, his shield could be moved onto different parts of his body, so Naofumi hid it under his cloak, put the hood on, and marched straight through to the 'market'. There, he and his slaves spread out a square cloth on the ground and put his salves and potions on view.

Quite soon, the first potential customers started to gather in front of his makeshift stall, watching his products with a mixture of doubt and interest.

Seeing that, both Raphtalia and Keran went out of their way to convince the people that it was good medicine, with Keran even showing his leg with barely a sign that there was a wound there, describing how his salve healed it within a minute.

Finally, the small crowd parted to reveal an aging man, who hobbled slowly right to them, using a stick for support. Behind him was a worried woman, his wife by the looks of it, wringing her hands nervously.

"Good day to you, sir, how can we help you?" Raphtalia chirped merrily.

Naofumi took note of the man's clothes, which were more expensive than an average villager's, and the way others seemed to give him space.

The man examined their assortment of bottles through slightly squinted eyes, then pulled up his pant leg, revealing a slightly dirty bandage.

"What do you have to help with this?" he asked in a deep voice.

The Tanuki girl opened her mouth to speak, but Naofumi beat her to it, deciding to take this matter into his own hands.

"Depends on what's under the bandage. If you show me, I will answer," he said calmly. His intuition was screaming that this was somebody important to the village, so, in order to have any chance to do business here, he had to give this man his utmost attention.

"Garad," the man addressed one of the vendors from nearby, "do you have an empty crate?"

"Of course, sir! Just a moment!"

This only served to cement Naofumi's belief that he met someone of importance – the local village leader, perhaps, or somebody close.

As his first customer sat on a hurriedly brought crate, the Shield Hero rolled up his sleeves and kneeled on the ground. Slowly and carefully, he took off the bandages, uncovering a long ugly burn. The skin was an angry red, full of blisters. Naofumi activated his Appraisal skill to determine the severity of the injury. A notification popped up:

[Second-degree burn. More than one dose of Burn Paste might be required.]

Naofumi was really glad for his extensive use of Appraisal which was by now at Level 6, allowing him to get a lot of information and even some advice about everything.

Looking over his products, the young man chose Burn Paste, together with a Pain Potion and a disinfectant, then laid the necessary medications in front of him and got to work, explaining his actions as he went on.

The crowd watched silently, whispering something to each other when the burn glowed golden, just like it had happened with Keran.

"For now, that's all I can do here, and it will be one silver fifty copper," Naofumi said calmly as he observed the injury. Though not completely healed, it definitely looked much better now. "In addition, I advise to apply Burn Paste twice more in the next two days, which will cost you another silver."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Keran's tail suddenly going still and made a mental note to ask if the boy noticed something unusual, then stood up to face his customer again.

"Very well, young man," the man said, taking out a small pouch, "I think I'll follow your advice. Are you a healer, er …?"

"Just a newbie," Naofumi replied, ignoring the obvious hint to introduce himself. "I sell herbs and medicine usually, but I could treat an occasional minor wound, too, I guess."

"Hmmm, I see… My name's Brayden, I am the Head of this village. You can stay and sell your goods here, sir healer."

The disguised Shield Hero lowered his head in thanks, then picked up the small jar with Burn Paste that he used and exchanged it for the stated amount of coins with Brayden. Keran and Raphtalia bowed simultaneously in farewell, while Naofumi got back to his seat on the ground, wondering why the village head decided to call him 'healer' instead of 'merchant' or 'apothecary'.

When he raised his head to see if anyone else would buy from them, he froze – it looked like half the village formed a line in front of him.

"R-Raphtalia!"

"Yes, Master?" the girl stepped forward a bit.

"Take my place. At this rate, we might not have enough stuff to sell. Keran, you will go along the line and ask what they want. Don't try to remember everything at once – ask three people at a time, starting with, say, fifth villager in the line."

The kids nodded, both getting to the tasks at hand, while the Shield Hero moved back to take out his instruments and supplies. Keran quickly returned with the first three orders, which he jotted down on a page in his journal, and skipped away again. After fifteen minutes of running around in the same fashion, the boy finished his task and flopped down on the ground near Raphtalia.

They continued to work for the next couple of hours – with Naofumi mixing, Raphtalia selling, and Keran entertaining the waiting customers with a quiet instruction from Naofumi to try and get some useful information about the place. Some of the villagers stayed for a bit to watch and talk even after having bought what they wanted, which only helped Keran to acquire more knowledge. When the last one – a woman with a small child on her back – left with several Nutritional Pills in her pocket, they were finally able to relax.

Naofumi observed his slaves for a moment – Keran and Raphtalia were lying on the ground with their eyes closed, obviously tired. He packed his instruments and the rest of their things, dusting his pants and taking care to keep his shield and face hidden.

"Get up, lazy bums. We're staying at the inn today."

The kids perked up immediately. _Of course, it'd be nice to sleep in a bed and not have to watch out for monsters every once in a while_, Naofumi thought wryly.

The sun was low on the horizon as they reached the local inn.

Its owner, a bald man with thick moustache who had bought several ointments from them earlier, gave them a bottle of homemade cider in gratitude, saying that the medicine was very good and helped his daughter very quickly. Said daughter, a teenage girl named Telica, was gliding between the tables, tending to the local patrons. She happily took their order and skipped away, but not without thanking Naofumi, to which he responded with a silent shrug of a shoulder.

"You could have said 'you are welcome', Master," Raphtalia admonished quietly, but Naofumi only shrugged again and stared at their table, making her blow out a long sigh.

He knew she meant well, but these people were so polite to him only because they didn't know who he was – if they did, he doubted they would even touch anything that he made. These thoughts dampened his already low mood even more, as he continued to wait for his supper, which was bound to taste like nothing. As it always did these days. _At least __**it**__ hasn't hurt at all today_, the Shield Hero mused with an internal sigh. _But it won't stay this way forever. I need to keep working up my skills, although, _a long tired yawn escaped him, interrupting his thoughts, _maybe I'll take a bit of a break tonight._

When the three of them were done eating, Naofumi paid for the meal and got them a room on the second floor. Unfortunately, there was just one free room there, and it had only two beds, both of which were too narrow to accommodate two people.

"I'll take the floor!" Raphtalia and Keran volunteered in unison, but the young man shook his head in the negative.

"Both of you have fought hard for the majority of the day today, and then had to work at the market. If you don't rest, you'll be useless tomorrow. That's why you will sleep in the beds, and that is an order."

"R-right, thanks a lot, Master!"

The children were surprised a little, but accepted it without complaining. Before Keran could go to his bed, though, Naofumi stopped him.

"Tell me what you've learned today from the locals."

"Yes, sir!" Keran nodded with some vigor, as Naofumi sat at the small table in their room and took out his journal and a pencil.

The boy proceeded to retell what the people of Lute had told him about the local plans and monsters, and many other things. When the Cat boy mentioned the local mines, the Shield Hero felt very interested – he remembered Erhard talking about ore and crystals that could be obtained there.

"But Daruta-san – he's one of the farmers here – said that the mines are abandoned now because of some monster," Keran added worriedly.

"Hmmm," Naofumi drummed his fingers on the wooden tabletop for a moment, "Did you find out anything about the monster?"

"No, looks like they don't know much besides it being not very big and walking on four legs."

"What do you say, Raphtalia?" he turned to look at his other slave, who was sitting on her bed, listening with interest.

"Um, I guess we could try, Master. We've gotten rather strong, right?"

Iwatani opened his Status menu and looked at their characteristics. He was currently at level 19, with Raphtalia being level 23 and Keran level 12.

"Keran, you will have to stay outside," he said slowly. "If the monster is too strong, you won't even be able to escape with your current level. Raphtalia and I will go in and take a look. If I decide we can take it on, we'll stay and fight. If not – then we'll have to run very quickly. Thankfully, the caves are pretty close to Lute, so I think we don't have to worry too much.

Now get some rest. I'll wake you up tomorrow, and after breakfast we go out. If all goes well, we will make quite a lot of money on it, and the locals might reward us for cleansing the mines."

"I will do my best!" Raphtalia looked enthusiastic at the prospect of helping both her Master and the villagers. Keran wasn't half as confident, but nodded in agreement nevertheless.

The boy then took out his sleeping bag and offered it to his master.

"Take it, Master Naofumi," he mumbled, without looking up.

Naofumi observed his slave for several long moments. Was the boy trying to get into his good graces? Nah, there wasn't any real need for that. It looked like he sincerely wanted him to be more comfortable.

The Shield Hero could almost feel Raphtalia's pointed look.

"… thanks."

The word felt a bit alien, but… good. Like he was a normal usual person.

Looking at his big-eyed slaves, Naofumi almost smiled.

"Stop impersonating fish and go to sleep already."

Their embarrassed, but at the same time pleased faces lingered in his mind even as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Naofumi walked in the cave first, with Raphtalia following closely behind. The path was roughly straight and stretched forward several dozen meters, as he recalled from the simple map he had obtained from one of the miners. The man looked alarmed at first when Naofumi told him about their intentions, but calmed down a little after Raphtalia assured him that they were actually adventurers and not just merchants.

Now they were slowly advancing deeper, listening to any unusual sounds, but everything was quiet for the moment.

Soon, the passage opened up to reveal an enormous cave, filled with myriads of shining green crystals. The sun peeked inside through a crack in the ceiling and bounced off the reflective crystalline structures, creating a mesmerizing picture. Passageways were carved in the stone walls and the center was filled with boulders, with a tiny waterfall sending water from high above and down into a small lake.

Beside him, Raphtalia let out an awed sigh.

"Naofumi-sama, this is so beautiful!"

"Mm-hmm, don't get too distracted." Naofumi tried to gauge the size of the cave, but it was somewhat hard from their current position. Thankfully, he had just got the right shield for it while exploring a small shack at the cave entrance.

"Rope Shield!" he incanted, raising his right arm parallel to the ground.

His shield transformed to look like a coiled rope, which he planned to use to climb up the boulders in the middle.

"Raphtalia," he called, turning to her, "we need to-

The words stuck in his throat.

Raphtalia stood frozen to the spot, her face like ash, one shaking hand pointing ahead.

Naofumi slowly turned his head – and surely, there it was, prowling ahead from one of the side tunnels. The monster looked like a giant dog, or, rather, two dogs, as it had a pair of growling heads attached to one strong muscular body. Two sets of red glowing eyes stared at them. Two long maws leaked saliva on the ground. The unnaturally tall beast bent down, obviously preparing to jump.

Raphtalia screamed.

* * *

Keran was twirling one of his knives nervously, waiting for Raphtalia and their master to get back.

The nature around him was quiet – a bit too quiet, perhaps. It made hairs on his neck stand on end. All his life, however short it was, he had relied on their species' renowned intuition. Right now, it was practically screaming at him that something was _very_ wrong. But…

… but…

… even a thought of going inside that cave made him want to curl up in terror.

He _wanted _to help those two, he really did.

In the short time they spent together, the ever-cheerful Raphtalia had become almost like an older sister to him. And their owner, despite his cold demeanor and detached attitude, felt more like an adoptive father rather than their master.

And still, when he tried to take a step forward, his legs refused to cooperate.

_Why?_ he thought desperately. _Why can't I do it? Am I a coward? Don't I want to be with them?_

His heart was beating madly; his breaths were short and ragged.

Keran glanced at the dark tunnel again – and his shoulders sagged in defeat.

Unshed tears blurred his vision as he sat there silently, staring at his knees.

_Please, come back alive._

* * *

Naofumi jumped forward with Raphtalia under his arm, narrowly avoiding being bitten, and stuck his right hand out. The rope from his shield uncoiled and flew ahead, obeying his mental command and sticking to the top of one of the bigger boulders. He ran to the left and used a smaller rock to jump and fly around the boulder using his rope as leverage. The dog monster managed to scratch his right shin quite deeply though, ripping his right boot in the process, and Naofumi landed in a heap on the other side.

He shot up, hissing as pain flared in his leg, and checked Raphtalia over. Besides a few tears in her clothes, the girl seemed unharmed, but she was almost catatonic with fear.

"Raphtalia!" Naofumi almost shouted. "Oi, Raphtalia!"

He shook her a little, and the Tanuki finally looked at him. Tears appeared in her eyes, flowing freely down her cheeks.

"N-N-Naofumi-sama… It's a d-dog… j-just like the one that k-killed mom and dad!.."

_Shit_, he thought with a grimace, _that's why she's so out of it. But the bastard will sure not let us go. I need to think of something, and quick!_

Naofumi turned at the sound of falling rocks and saw the monster getting closer.

"Fuck!"

He grabbed the girl again and climbed up the closest pile of rocks, which led to a small stone terrace that went all the way to the wall of the cave. Upon reaching the wall, he set Raphtalia down and put his hands on her shoulders, staring at her with resolution.

"Listen to me, Raphtalia! Is this the same monster that killed your parents?"

"Not ex-xactly," her teeth were chattering. "That one had… three heads…"

"Alright, good! Now you will do something that only you can do!" The young man squeezed her shoulders. "You'll defeat this piece of shit right here right now and save everyone!"

"Everyone?.." the Tanuki girl asked in confusion.

"Yes, everyone. You do understand," Naofumi looked over his shoulder at the monster who had finally climbed after them and was slowly moving forward, "that we'll be just the first victims. It won't stop after killing us!"

"B-but… I can't!.."

Iwatani Naofumi stood up and turned to face the approaching beast, raising his shield in front of him. The monster lunged forward, and the Shield Hero blocked one of its heads while the other bit into his shoulder with vengeance.

Naofumi cried out from the agonizing pain, but did not back down. Thank all the gods that his characteristics raised his pain tolerance quite a bit.

"After it is done with us, this thing will get out and kill Keran!" Hot blood spurted from the wound, painting their surroundings in red. "Then it'll go to Lute! Do you want them all to die like your parents had?! Do you want more children suffer the same fate as you?! _Raphtalia!_"

The dog monster pressed forward, trying to overpower his opponent, but Naofumi couldn't go down yet. His slave was still sitting on the ground in a trance, so there was only one method left.

"I make it an order, then! Raphtalia, slay this monster!"

"N-no! I can't, I -

Suddenly, her slave crest activated, and the girl shouted out from the sudden pain, her hands reaching up to scratch at the crest. Still, she didn't get up, instead trying to fight the curse.

_Well_, Naofumi thought with a sudden calmness despite almost blacking out from the agony, _I guess that does it, then…_

"I revoke my order… Raphtalia, you need to run away right now!"

"W-what?!" The girl's crest stopped glowing, and she looked up at her master in shock. "But what about you?"

"I will stay and try to hold this bastard up for as long as I can! You take Keran and run to Lute; if you band together, I'm sure you'll be able to take it down!"

The monster bit even deeper into his shoulder, and Naofumi groaned, his legs almost buckling down under him.

At last, he heard the Tanuki move behind him and prepared to grab the dog to keep it from switching its attention to her.

"D-d-d…"

_Oh, come ON! _he would have facepalmed in exasperation, if he hadn't been so occupied by keeping the beast on the other side of his shield from biting his head off. _Get away already, you fool!_

"DON'T DIE, NAOFUMI-SAMA!" Raphtalia screeched all of a sudden, jumping forward and slashing at the head that was biting him.

The monster let go of Naofumi, yowling in pain, and tried to attack her instead; but the Shield Hero didn't give it the chance.

"Air Strike Shield!"

A glowing green shield appeared in front of Raphtalia, protecting her. The two-headed dog slammed into it full force and reeled back, looking dazed. Taking the opportunity, the Tanuki girl leapt into the air and drove her sword up to the hilt into the monster's neck, right between the two heads.

With a deafening howl, the dog fell down at last, twitched several times, and finally went still.

The experience notification that appeared in front of his eyes shook Naofumi out of his pain-filled daze. He turned to a panting Raphtalia, who slowly sheathed her sword without saying anything. Then she took one shaking step towards him, and another, and another.

The next moment she was clutching him in a death grip and bawling her eyes out like a five-year-old.

Naofumi sat them both down on the ground, barely managing to hold in a moan from all the discomfort caused by the movement.

"Please, don't leave me, Naofumi-samaaaa!"

"Hey, stop it, you silly girl," he sighed tiredly, feeling ready to keel over. "I'm not going to leave you now that this pile of shit is dead. Well, maybe," he amended, "if you don't stop squeezing me so hard. I do have a wound, you know."

"AH! I'M SORRY!" The Tanuki girl loosened her hold of him a little, but didn't let go completely.

The Shield Hero closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment to rest.

"Master! Raphtaliaaa!" A voice in the distance made him open his tired eyes and look around.

"Keran! We're here!"

Raphtalia let go of him carefully and went to the edge of the platform, shouting and waving her hands. She was soon joined by her fellow slave, who looked equal parts scared and relieved.

Naofumi looked the boy over, checking for any injuries, but found none.

His slaves hugged each other, and it finally started to sink in that the fight was actually over. A wave of relief washed over Naofumi, so strong that he almost fell down on the ground. In fact, he started swaying dangerously, which didn't go by unnoticed.

"Master!" Two sets of hands kept him upright, the kids' worried faces hovering just a few inches from his.

"Let's get outta here," he muttered, "But first, Raphtalia, cut _it _for the Shield."

The girl nodded resolutely and went to kneel beside the cooling body of the monster, taking a knife out of her left bootleg and starting to cut it into pieces. With Keran's help, the Shield Hero hobbled over to her and absorbed all the parts one by one. Another notification popped up, informing him that he got another new shield:

[Two-headed Black Dog Shield: Equip Bonus: Alert Shield, Special Effect: Dog Bite]

_I'll need to examine it later_, Naofumi thought absently, _this Alert Shield sounds pretty useful._

He searched through inventory and took out two Small Healing Potions and a Strengthening Potion, gulping them down in quick succession.

The effects were immediate, and he felt much better, though his shoulder wound wasn't completely healed and would need more attention later. But for now he was good to go.

"Raphtalia, Keran, we're returning to Lute for now."

"Yes, sir!" Their cheerful synchronous answers were making his eyebrow twitch, but Naofumi decided to ignore them in favor of getting back to the inn as soon as possible.

With an eyeroll, he turned and headed to the spot where they had climbed up earlier, both Demi-humans swiftly catching up.

* * *

"By the way, Keran, what did you see yesterday, when I was inspecting the Head's leg?" on their way back Naofumi suddenly remembered that he had wanted to ask that the previous evening.

"Um…" the boy's ears twitched as he thought for a moment, "Ah, yes! Master, when you were naming the medicine, that guy looked at a woman from the crowd, and she nodded to him, and then he nodded back-

"- and only then he accepted my treatment," finished the Shield Hero with a nod. "I see. Do you remember what she looks like?"

"Sure do, Master!"

"Good. I want to talk to her tomorrow, and you'll help me find her."

Keran hummed in agreement, squinting at something ahead.

"Look! There's someone there, Master Naofumi!"

Naofumi tried to discern who it was, but they were still quite a ways away from Lute, therefore, the only thing he could say with certainty was that it was a man. Somebody stood in front of the village entrance, facing in their direction. The young man made sure his shield stayed hidden and put his hood on.

"Keran, Raphtalia, be ready for anything. In the worst case we might even have to run."

Both his slaves nodded and tensed.

When they reached the village, they were surprised to find Brayden waiting at the gate.

"Sir healer! I have learned that you decided to visit our caves. How did it go?" As he was speaking, the Head's eyes observed their disheveled appearance and stopped at Naofumi's torn and bloodied cloak in the shoulder area.

"Well," Naofumi started, following after the older man in the inn's direction, "We only met one monster there, but it was pretty big and strong, so I am assuming that the weaker monsters had all been eaten by it. Which means now the caves are most probably safe again."

His words made Brayden falter in his steps, the Demis barely avoiding walking into him.

"Did you truly kill it?" he asked anxiously.

"Uh-huh. We disposed of the body, so there's not much evidence, but I can swear on my life that we ended the bastard." Naofumi looked Brayden in the eyes seriously for a moment, then turned away and continued their walk. "Now you can mine in the caves again, after checking them thoroughly, of course, in case there's anything else there."

"Of course," his older companion agreed readily. "We have been thinking about ways to solve this problem. Now, I'm sure your actions saved some of my men their lives. I am very grateful for that."

The Shield Hero in disguise shrugged with his good shoulder.

"I did it because I am also interested in those caves," he admitted. "And, since you're already here, I wanted to ask you a favor in return for getting rid of the threat."

"I will do what I can within reason, sir healer."

Naofumi wanted to ask about the nickname, but then thought against it. _Now's not the time, I need to concentrate on our deal_.

"Would it be fine if I collect ore and crystals in the mines from time to time? Mostly for medicinal purposes, of course. And I promise to only bring these two with me, no one else," he gestured at Raphtalia and Keran. "Plus, your citizens will get a bit of a discount whenever they buy my medicine."

The village Head smiled approvingly. "I see you have thought this through, good sir. Alright, we have an agreement, then."

They shook hands, and Naofumi almost turned to enter the inn, when the man addressed him once more.

"Let me do something else for you to return the favor, wait a moment."

The man disappeared inside the inn for several minutes and returned with a satisfied expression. "I've told Rork, the innkeeper, that your stay here is on me. Please, take it as my gratitude for dealing with our problem. Our village has lost a big part of income because of that abomination, now my people can have their jobs back."

Naofumi inclined his head, accepting the man's offering.

"Very good. Now, we really need to take some rest…" He gestured vaguely at his wound.

"Sure, sure. I'll leave you to it, then."

As they finally parted ways, Naofumi let out a sigh of exhaustion and went to the door, grabbing the doorknob. "C'mon, let's get inside."

When no one followed him, the Shield Hero turned around. "What are you waiting fo-

_What the HELL?!_

His slaves were looking at him with hearts in their eyes, both their tails swishing madly.

"Naofumi-sama!"

"That was sooo cool!"

The hearts in their eyes were getting bigger…

"You were just like an experienced merchant!"

"Won the goodwill of the village Head with such ease!"

… and their faces were closer and closer…

He sweatdropped.

"I'm going in!"

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared behind the heavy door, slamming it shut and leaving his slaves behind.

"Eh?.."


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: SORRY everyone, I know it's been a very VERY long time, and I had all sorts of things happening to me (not all of them good, unfortunately). But I'm not going to abandon this story, so you can expect more chapters in the future ^ ^ Although I can't write fast, so it may take quite a bit of time :/**

**This chapter was actually sitting half-finished in my laptop for a couple months, but I didn't know how to continue up until a couple days ago -_-**

**Hope you'll enjoy it!**

CHAPTER 6

"Help yourselves!" Telica put two large bowls of stew on the table and threw her thick golden braid over the shoulder, smiling as both Demi-humans' tails started to swish back and forth.

"Hey, honey! Bring me 'un more cuppa!" bellowed another customer, a burly man sitting two tables away.

"Comin' sir!" She called back and hurried to get the drink.

Keran and Raphtalia dug in with gusto, finishing their portions almost instantly and asking the girl for seconds, to which she laughed merrily and shouted their order into the kitchen.

When another two bowls appeared in front of them, they took to eating again, albeit this time more slowly.

"Hmmm," Keran studied the food in his spoon before putting it in his mouth and starting to chew thoughtfully. "Are you thinking the same thing?" he asked after swallowing.

"It's very good, but not really as tasty as Master's cooking, is it?"

"Uh-huh," the boy nodded. "His cooking skills are really something. I wonder if he's ever thought of opening a tavern or maybe even a restaurant after, you know…" he gestured with his free hand.

"We have to survive it all first," Raphtalia answered, biting her lower lip as she glanced in the direction of their new room, given to them by Rork the innkeeper as another gift. The man explained that the previous occupants vacated it just an hour ago, and now they could use it instead of their original room, which was smaller and less comfortable. When they asked why he was proposing it, the innkeeper explained that both his brothers were miners and had trouble providing for their families, because their main source of income had become home for the monster. With the beast gone, they'll be able to live well again.

Now their master was there, sleeping, though it looked more as if he simply passed out. When they first entered the room, Keran and Raphtalia didn't even have any time to look around, because the Shield Hero suddenly swayed and almost fell to the floor. The youngsters helped him to the nearest bed, exchanging a worried glance.

"Are you alright, Naofumi-sama?" the girl enquired anxiously.

"… …yes." His slow answer only made them more anxious.

"Can we help you with anything, Master Naofumi?" This got the man's attention, as it was only the second time that Keran called him by his name. He looked himself over, and sighed.

"I guess…. I need to check my shoulder and leg."

Together the three of them peeled away the fabric of his cloak and shirt, revealing reddened skin and half-healed bite marks, smeared with dried blood. After sending Keran down for some water, Naofumi took out the salve for infected wounds, some bandages and a rag with his good hand, and passed the items to Raphtalia.

"I'm back!" The cat boy announced, opening the door with a small bowl in his hands. Carefully, he carried the bowl over to them and placed it on a stool that Raphtalia put beside the bed. The girl soaked the rag and began cleaning her Master's shoulder area slowly.

When she was done, the water in the bowl was red from all the blood. The Raccoon girl glanced at the Shield Hero, noting his tightened jaw. With an apologetic look, she took the healing paste and started to coat the bite marks with it.

The young man inhaled sharply and closed his eyes, but didn't give any other sign of distress, although both Demi-humans were sure that the treatment was rather painful. When Keran put his palm on top of his master's in support, though, Naofumi started and looked at it for a moment, then shook his head a little and closed his eyes again without a comment.

Keran looked at Raphtalia with a small grin, who smiled and gave him a nod of approval.

When the girl was done, she bandaged her Master's shoulder and kneeled on the floor to examine his leg. Fortunately, the gashes there had already healed, so she just took care of cleaning the skin.

"I'm going to rest a bit," the man spoke up finally, "you go down and eat, and have some rest too. Tomorrow we're returning to the mines for materials."

"Yes, Master!" Their simultaneous answers, which were rapidly becoming a habit, evoked only an eyeroll from the Shield Hero now, and he waved his hand in a shooing motion, trying to hold back a yawn.

"Off with you two..."

As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light. The two Demi-humans exchanged a look and quietly left the room, descending the steep staircase that led to the first floor, which served as a tavern.

And that's where they were sitting now, munching on their late lunch.

"I… umm… Sorry I wasn't any help today," Keran turned to look in the same direction briefly. His golden eyes then found Raphtalia's pink ones as he tried to express himself. "I really wanted to… I wanted to go inside 'cause I just _felt_ that something wasn't right, but…" He lowered his head in shame. "I was scared."

Keran's grey ears drooped as he thought about what the older girl would say. Would she hate him? Call him a coward? A nuisance?

"It's alright."

His head snapped up in surprise, and Keran was met with a sad smile.

"It's alright to be scared. I know I was absolutely terrified earlier when the monster appeared and decided to attack us. I'm actually glad that you stayed outside – that beast was very fast and strong, and I couldn't even move from fear. If not for Master…" she shuddered. "I would have died."

"Can you tell me what happened there?" The boy asked quietly. "I only plucked up the courage to go in after I received lots of experience points, but I don't think Master will tell me everything."

Raphtalia nodded and proceeded to describe their encounter with the two-headed dog, trying to not give too much detail about their Master's abilities, seeing as they were in a public place.

"Your master is a good man." A familiar voice spoke above them.

"Aaaaah!" Both teens jumped in their seats, turning to its owner, who put two plates with cake on the table and twirled a small tray in her hands with a cheeky grin.

"Telica-chan!" Raphtalia exclaimed in a high-pitched voice. "W-when did you come?"

"Oh, don't worry, I only caught the part about your master bravely telling you to run as he held back the monster, and you protecting him in return. Aw, I think I wouldn't mind having such a _master_ myself." The girl winked at Raphtalia, who blushed heavily and hid her face in her hands with a groan.

"Oi, stop it, Telica," Keran defended his fellow Demi. "Don't make Raphtalia uncomfortable. Besides," he added, "our Master isn't some womanizer, and he will never use Raphtalia like this!"

"Alright, alright!" The young waitress relented with a shrug. "You seem to respect him a lot, I see."

"Well, he may own us… but he doesn't treat us as 'things', y'know…" the Raccoon girl mumbled, still a bit pink from embarrassment.

"And, by the way, you're quite friendly to us too," the boy narrowed his visible eye slightly at the cheerful girl.

"That's because we have quite a lot of Demi-human clients. Dad has had this tavern for as long as I can remember, and your kind has never treated us badly. We simply return the favor."

Keran couldn't feel anything dishonest in her words, so he just nodded and got up.

"Thanks for the food, then. I think I'll go upstairs now."

"Me too, thank you, Telica-chan," Raphtalia smiled and hurried after the retreating boy.

The owner's daughter watched them go, then turned around and began wiping the table that had been occupied by the pair moments ago.

_Take care of your master_, she silently wished. _If he really is the one, he's going to need all the help he can get._

* * *

Something bright was shining him in the face. Naofumi groaned slightly and tried to cover his eyes, but his hands were weighed down by something. Puzzled, he raised his head to see what it was, and discovered his slaves sleeping peacefully on both his sides.

With a sigh, he leaned back on the pillow. _So, am I a human pillow now? Looks like they got a bit clingy…_ Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. He inhaled deeply, and –

"YOU SLEPT THROUGH YOUR NIGHT SHIFT!"

The effect was immediate.

"WHAAAAAA!" the teens screamed, jumping up and off the bed, looking around wildly.

"Finally. I was getting pins and needles in my arms already."

Hearing their master's voice, they turned to him, still disheveled and wide-eyed.

"B-b-but, Master! We're at the inn, we don't need to do night shifts!"

He kept his face straight.

"Get dressed. We're eating and moving out to the caves today."

"Umm…"

Naofumi looked at the Raccoon girl impassively, as she clutched at her sleeping shirt nervously.

"Er, shouldn't you be resting, sir?" Keran spoke up quietly instead, cringing slightly under the man's stare.

"My health bar is full."

"O… Okay." The teen looked like he wanted to say more, but thought better of it.

After getting ready and having a quick breakfast they left the village and walked the sandy road to the mine. As they were trudging behind their Master, Keran exchanged looks with Raphtalia, silently agreeing to try and keep the Shield Hero from overworking himself.

* * *

Several days passed in a similar fashion – they worked in the mine till lunch, had a short nap after eating, then did some grinding in the nearby forest, and got back to the inn for a hearty dinner. Then the teens stayed down with Telica, while Naofumi was either making potions in their room, or selling them at the market area.

Then, as their fifth day of the established routine was nearing its end, Naofumi addressed the Demi-humans on their way from the woods:

"Tomorrow we will return to the Capital to sell the materials and, perhaps, get some new equipment from Old Man."

Raphtalia cheered loudly, and Keran smiled too, infected by her good mood.

With each passing day, he liked the energetic girl more and more. He knew by now what had happened to her and how she got bought by their master. In return, Keran shared his story, and the two of them tried to piece together any facts about their master, but there really wasn't a lot to say. They couldn't deduce much from his habits, and the man never talked about himself. Not that he actually talked about anything else.

And today wasn't any different – Raphtalia was chattering about different weapons she wanted to try, Keran added his thoughts here and there, and the Shield Hero was just walking silently a few steps behind them, seemingly deep in thought.

Though when the nearby bushes suddenly rustled, he was in front of the teens in an instant, his shield at the ready.

The creature that appeared from the foliage had them tense a little.

It looked like a medium-sized bear with extremely long claws, and immediately swung one paw in Naofumi's general direction with a low growl. He blocked it with his shield, and had to duck a millisecond later to avoid the second one.

There was a barely audible swish above his head, and the monster roared with pain caused by two knives embedded in the thick fur – one in the chest, another one in the right shoulder.

The beast's right paw hung limply, which was a clue for Raphtalia, who dashed forward to the bear's unprotected side and struck it down with her sword.

The fight ended in less than twenty seconds, and all three of them exhaled with relief.

"Good job on your teamwork." Naofumi said almost absent-mindedly, squatting down to examine the bear. He took out a knife and started cutting.

"Thanks, Master!" the teens grinned, pleased at the praise, and stepped forward to help with the dissection.

Later in the evening, when they were sitting down to have dinner, the Shield Hero went to the kitchen and spoke with the cooks for a moment. Even with their keen hearing, neither Keran nor Raphtalia could make out any words, but the mystery was unveiled very quickly when Telica brought them their food.

"Whoa, Master, is this all for us?" Raphtalia exclaimed, staring at the assortment of plates filled with steaming meat and fresh vegetables.

"Eat. You did well today, and we have enough money to afford it." The man's voice was dry, as usual, but it still made both youngsters almost glow with pride. They tucked in happily, cleaning the table within ten minutes.

In the excitement both failed to notice that their master barely touched his food at all.

* * *

The following morning met them with bright sun and pleasant freshness as they set out for the capital, stopping to pick up some fresh herbs here and there. By the time they stepped foot inside the city walls, it became hotter and very crowded, and Naofumi kept his shield covered to avoid any unpleasant confrontations.

Fortunately, they made it to the apothecary without incident, and the young man almost sighed in relief upon entering the slightly cool building.

He greeted the owner curtly and took something from his pocket. The apothecary raised an enquiring eyebrow at him.

"It's a letter from your niece in Lute. She asked that I bring it to you the next time I go here."

Taking the letter, the older man read it quickly and put the paper away, his face adopting a nicer than usual, almost eager, expression.

"Are you here on business? I have to say, I missed the quality of your stock."

Naofumi stared in suspicion for a moment, but thought that perhaps he didn't really want to know the reason for this sudden change and opened one of his bags instead.

"Here, take a look."

A pleased hum from the other man later, Naofumi decided he would probably have to ask his niece Medo about that letter at some point. Only business mattered at the moment, though.

An hour later they left the place with a pouch full of coins and a grimoire with basic potions. _Maybe things are finally starting to look up, _Naofumi thought, following the path to Erhard's shop, _at least not everyone here treats me like I'm the lowest scum_.

Unfortunately, he was very soon reminded of the usual treatment he got.

"What. Did. You. Say."

They've just finished equipping Raphtalia and Keran with more expensive weapons and some armour, and the blacksmith was very surprised to learn that Naofumi didn't know the day of the next Wave.

"Sorry, kiddo," Erhard winced in sympathy. "I was sure they'd at least tell you about the Dragon Hourglass…"

"Obviously, they didn't." Naofumi tried to suppress the cold feeling of hopelessness rising in his stomach and concentrate on the matter at hand, "And where is this hourglass?"

* * *

It looked like visiting the church had soured his mood considerably, both Raphtalia and Keran thought. Well, actually, everything was going more or less fine until the other three Heroes showed up and proceeded to insult him without shame. The Spear Hero then noticed Raphtalia and, after a flashy introduction, tried flirting with her, but Keran slapped his hands away with a low growl, and the girl quickly hid behind her Master.

"R-raphtalia-chan!" cried out Motoyasu, surprised at the obvious hostility. "Isn't it better for you to join my party instead of being with this… this… animal?!"

Half the people around facepalmed, including the Shield Hero who drawled in annoyance:

"You know, she's kind of half-animal, so instead of insulting me you're actually insulting _her_."

The Spear Hero gaped at him like a fish, and Naofumi didn't wait for the idiot to come back to reality.

"C'mon," he muttered, "let's leave this wretched place." His slaves dutifully followed, but not without throwing back some dirty looks.

Together they made their way to a tavern for a late lunch, both Demi-humans sharing a nervous look at a dark cloud that seemed to hover over their Master.

The meal passed in silence, and only later, as they were heading to the city gates, Keran mustered enough courage to ask:

"Umm, so, how much time do we have before the next Wave of Destruction?"

The man's heavy gaze was unnerving, but after a few moments the Hero answered:

"Twenty-six days and fourteen hours."

"Oh, there's still some time to train," piped in Raphtalia.

"Yeah… some," their master grudgingly agreed. "We'll travel around more, too."

"I like it. I've never travelled before, except in a cage when the slave hunters got me," Keran said. "What about you, Raphtalia?"

"No," she shook her head. "I haven't travelled anywhere of my own free will. But," the silent understanding between them felt really sad, so Raphtalia hurried to continue, "We often walked around the nearby forests with Sadeena onee-san, and…"

The conversation flowed between two Demi-humans, leaving Naofumi to walk quietly, remembering his own last time spent travelling. There, in his home world, it happened a year ago.

He'd finally saved enough money from his part-time jobs and dragged Yutaro on a trip around the nearby cities, finishing with a glorious three-day lie-in at the beach. On the last day, sitting on the sand and watching the sun set, they decided to make it their annual summer tradition…

Naofumi grit his teeth painfully.

They would have gone about six days ago, if only he hadn't been kidnapped to this shitty world. Right now, he and his brother could be walking around the streets of Amakusa after a long day spent swimming in the sea and playing beach games-

"-fumi-sama?"

"…what." He turned to his slaves, who actually cowered a bit. _Shit_, he tried to smooth out his face, _no need to scare them_.

"N-naofumi-sama, where are we going now?"

Naofumi stared blankly at Raphtalia for a moment, and then looked around. Ah, they were already passing the gates.

"Let's head back to Lute for the night. Tomorrow I'll speak with Brayden about the closest villages and we'll make a plan. There's also one place we need to find, but I think either Brayden or Medo will be able to help with that."


End file.
